Thursday, January 26, 2012

Putting Things Off

I've gotten lazy. There's some stuff I was supposed to post months ago, that just never got typed out. I did two interviews, which aren't normally my thing, but if a friend wants to get something off their chest, I'm certainly not going to turn them down.
They probably would've both been lost to time, but Dysis put up a post about her childhood, and that inadvertently shamed me into putting this up-since one of these interviews is with Dysis, I figure I really should.

Right. So, the interview with Dysis was actually over the phone, I've never been lucky enough to meet her in person, though I really would love a chance to have a drink with her. She asked me if I would hear her story and post it, she wanted to get it out there and didn't quite have the heart to post it herself-which I totally understand.

By now everyone knows that she's a country girl who went into the parks service, saw a bunch of monsters, nearly got gored to death, etc. She was away from home for years, and when she finally went back... everything was different. The trees and brush were all dying, and the kids were... quiet. Blank.
She didn't know what to think, so she just went about her business, went to see her best friend from before she left-a guy named Riley, who'd since married and had some kids.
The kids were a little weird, but the visit went well, and he ended up asking her if he could have some of the firewood she had at her old house. She certainly wasn't using it, so she went to get it for him and ran into his kids, standing there all creepy like in her backyard. She was understandably confused, offered to take them home. Next thing she knew she was tied up arms spread kneeling on the ground in a basement.
Riley's standing in front of her, with a bunch of kids, a couple teenagers, and some adults all milling about. When she asks what the fuck was going on, she gets the story of the years she'd missed.
Kids started going missing. All the kids under ten vanished, one by one, and the teenagers started having night terrors and hysteria and nervous ticks, some even had full blown breakdowns with the screaming like in some bad exorcism movie.
Some of the kids showed back up again, but they were acting all weird, like she'd seen, and they wouldn't talk about where they'd been.
And then one day at church he shows up. Standing in the doorway, all the kids huddled around his feet. And then he vanishes, and the kids are still there, and all the parents go and grab their children and take them home, and everyone tries to forget.
But we all know it's not that simple when it comes to slendershit.
The kids started acting strangely, talking about how god was angry and that's why they'd been taken, and how everything would go back to normal if they started worshipping the 'real' god.
And they did. They set up services for him and suddenly he's about more often and telling them to do things like converting everyone else. And to do what they had to to those that resisted.
Dysis said what struck her then wasn't so much the whips he started fishing through, but how defeated he looked. It was obvious he didn't want to do this, but he had to.
He called up the teenagers, told them they had to learn how to 'convert people'. He lashed her a couple times to demonstrate, then called the first one up, then the second, and so on. Every few teens he'd stop and ask her if she was ready to convert. She persistently told him to go to hell, and in the end he called everyone in and made an example of her. All of the teens had a go at her, and by the end she could barely talk but she was as stubborn as ever.
And then Riley turned to the adults and told them to get their tools. She's thinking she's pretty fucked till she sees this little girl hiding behind her mother and begging her not to let it happen, and she just snaps.
Dysis doesn't remember what happens next, really. Next thing she knows she's standing outside in the mud, bleeding and clutching an axe, and she doesn't really know what happened, but it's not hers and it's covered in blood and there's a fire starting.
And there he is. Slendershit. Just standing there staring, with kids all around him again. And she saw red and charged the bastard, knocking the kids aside to chop into him like a fucking tree. Apparently it hurt like a motherfucker and whatever happened next she ends up in the mud and gets to her truck and drives to the nearest rest stop and sits there till she can function again.
According to the radio, a forest fire wiped out the town. No word on any bodies or anything, just a forest fire that caught in all those dead trees without any hope of survivors.
She cleaned herself up and locked the axe away in the trunk-it makes her nauseous and headachey to be around, apparently.

She may not remember exactly what happened, but she knows she killed them. That's her big secret. She's worried everyone will reject her for that-she's never told anyone but Hylo before. Somehow I expect with the way the Stalked have to be sometimes we'll understand. Especially considering she's made a big effort to make sure nothing like that ever happened again.

The second bit of info is from a discussion I had with David, back... before. During one of his visits. I was understandably curious and I figure maybe if you lot understand a bit more about him, I'll stop getting fucking ambushed every time I see him because oh fuck the enemy.

Fuck you guys. Yeah, he does some awful shit. But let me paint this in clear black and white. So did I. I'm not going to judge him for doing all the same sorts of things I used to do. You look at David and see a monster, I look at a guy who has some rather awful hobbies, but who always has a smile and a treat for Em, and whom goes completely peaceful and delighted at the simple presence of music. Any music, doesn't matter.  The simple joy there... it's gorgeous.
More importantly, he's done a lot for me. And it's not exactly his fault he got involved with slendershit, from what he's told me, the fucker showed up in his apartment one night and smacked him around till he agreed to work for him.
He says he gets his orders direct too, none of this bureaucratic bullshit. Apparently he gets dreams. And they're special dreams that he always remembers and feel very different from normal dreams. And they're his assignments. And if he does well enough, he gets a year. A year of life for someone he cares about, apparently. That's how he was keeping TMV safe. And his son, apparently.
Most of what he does-and this is going to count against him, but for the sake of honesty I'll include it anyway-is just what he wants. He does what he does because he's trying to protect people, or because he thinks his helping, or because he's fucking bored, I don't know.

It's just. He's not a monster, just a man who does bad things. And I guess that's still not great, but I feel like it's important to make the distinction. Monsters don't bring little girls candy just to see them smile. Monsters don't let their friends cry on their shoulders in the middle of crowded diners. Monsters... Monsters don't fall in love or dote on their children and try to set them up with people to cheer them up.

24 comments:

  1. Quite impressing. She did what we have been trying to do all this time. Mind if I ask for a date?

    -Miguel

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  2. Thanks for this Elaine. Means a lot.

    I really hope all goes well for you.

    -Dysis

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  3. There are no monsters. But he's still a heinous criminal and should definitely be behind bars.

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    1. Well yeah, you're all threats to society. But David is a rapist and torturer as well as a murderer, so he should be near the top of the list.

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  4. I'm... actually a little curious about that axe now. Is that reaction caused by the memory of the events surrounding it? Or does it affect other people too?
    But... it's probably not something that should be tested. I understand if I shouldn't press the issue. And if this is the wrong place to ask, of course.

    As for David... I don't really know what to say about him. Perhaps what he does is worth it if it gives a whole year to someone else, given the average life expectancy of a Runner... Not something I'd do though, or would want anyone else to do for me. After all, is it really worth it to put that kind of trust in an entity that would kill you sooner than anything else?
    ...But I'm not him. It's hard to judge when it means survival, especially when it isn't your own.

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    1. Ah, that could be it. Who knows. Hylo doesn't like looking at it either, then again... it's not a pretty sight. I need to get rid of it.

      It's fine to ask. Don't worry about hurting my feelings.

      -Dysis

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  5. Ya know, plenty of comic super villains have got their own completely normal personal hobbies. It doesn't make them any less horrible of a super villain. So regardless of how many puppies David kisses in his spare time, I really don't see him winning any popularity contests among your runner friends any time soon. Comparing yourself to him isn't doing yourself any favors either. Especially if you're trying to move AWAY from what you once were. Because unlike you, I don't see David doing a lot to try and change for the better or whatever. Just saying.

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    1. Still, after reading this, I can kinda relate to what David does. I mean, C'mon Gargoyle, you can't possibly tell me you wouldn't kill to help someone close to you.

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  6. The best type of monsters are the ones that wear human skin.
    I would fucking know.

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  7. So why can't they tell their stories themselves, exactly?

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    1. Sometimes it's easier to say something on your mind when there's a friendly face or voice to relay it to who's willing to hear you out.

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    2. Yes, but I don't exactly read Take the Myth to hear Elaine recount the sob stories of people she's never met.

      Who the fuck even is Dysis, anyway? Am I just expected to know who she is? Do I have to look for that link that's pretty much indistinguishable from the other text because they're the same color and read the entire blog just so I know who the fuck Elaine is talking about here?

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    3. You might want to check the color settings on your monitor-the links are yellow, the text is white. And no, you don't have to. Does it matter? If you don't want to read the story, then skip that half the post, you whiny cunt.

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    4. Yellow on white is a terrible design choice. If you're not going to make two things different, make them very different. It's the difference between contrast and conflict.

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    5. Yeah, that yellow is too pale to be useful for links. The already-clicked link color is fine, though.

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    6. Giles summed it up pretty well. Thanks, man.

      -Dysis

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    7. If you must stick with those colors for your links, then perheapes you should switch them around. It may seem counterintuitive to have the unclicked link lighter, but when your basic color is white it's more important the link stands out if you haven't clicked it yet. You may think the color is suitable, but that's because you've already opened the links, which is nessacary for posting them.

      I don't want to be the format critic, but it does take forever to find a link on your blog unless I've already been to that site.

      See you around
      -Free

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  8. Wow...both of those stories are very sweet even though I don't know much about David or Dysis and who either of them are. I think were all in this together and should support each other that way because if we don't then we have more enemies than we need to have. everyone should be friends!

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    1. Haha, wow, kid-
      ...
      ... yeah. Yeah, maybe we should.

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    2. Kind of what I'm saying, yeah. Thanks Bondie.

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  9. So now that I have finally caught up on this DRAMATIC EPIC TALE OF LOSS AND DESPERATE SURVIVAL, I can finally say for myself that everything I have heard about you is TRUE Ms. Logan. Someone down the line, I don't know if it was David, abusive ex-boyfriend, Nick (Strikes me as an abuser), Jake, or Morningstar, but SOMEONE clearly hit you hard enough to cause brain damage or mild mental-retardation. Your logic makes no sense, your morality is screwed up beyond belief, and you would make an EXCELLENT member of our family. All in all you were everything I hoped for when I started reading this. Loads of laughs, especially the "Everyone close to you dies" part. On that note, HEY! Hear about Ronan's kidnapping? Clearly it is to get to David. And he is close to you, yes? Just something to think about.
    -V

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    Replies
    1. How cute. Another little rabid newcomer trying to take bites out of those of us that people actually care about so that someone will pay attention to you. Come back when your balls drop.

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    2. Predictable. Truly. Letting fame get to your head dear Elaine? Or do you prefer Lainey. Wasn't that Morningstar's little pet name for you. Yes. I shall call you Lainey in honor of your failures. Hahahaha. Big fan of his you know. Tons of fun. Less so when you got involved though. Mostly because he DIED.
      But no seriously. It is FUN to take bites out such a delicious treat such as you. There are so many flavors of failure to sample. Cam, Morningstar, Hope. Oh... Hope is especially delicious. Wouldn't you agree?

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